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Efim Geller
Geller 
 

Number of games in database: 2,493
Years covered: 1946 to 1995
Highest rating achieved in database: 2620
Overall record: +936 -356 =1194 (61.7%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 7 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Sicilian (316) 
    B83 B92 B84 B42 B33
 Ruy Lopez (194) 
    C92 C95 C96 C78 C93
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (108) 
    C92 C95 C96 C93 C97
 French Defense (93) 
    C07 C05 C09 C03 C04
 French Tarrasch (81) 
    C07 C05 C09 C03 C04
 Nimzo Indian (75) 
    E59 E26 E54 E55 E29
With the Black pieces:
 Ruy Lopez (237) 
    C84 C93 C89 C92 C85
 King's Indian (212) 
    E92 E60 E67 E70 E73
 Ruy Lopez, Closed (188) 
    C84 C93 C89 C92 C85
 Sicilian (180) 
    B52 B64 B88 B62 B89
 Orthodox Defense (92) 
    D58 D55 D59 D53 D50
 Queen's Gambit Declined (90) 
    D31 D37 D35 D30
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   Geller vs Smyslov, 1965 1-0
   Geller vs Karpov, 1976 1-0
   Fischer vs Geller, 1967 0-1
   Fischer vs Geller, 1967 0-1
   Geller vs Fischer, 1962 1-0
   Geller vs Portisch, 1967 1-0
   Kotov vs Geller, 1949 0-1
   Geller vs Najdorf, 1953 1-0
   Geller vs Velimirovic, 1971 1-0
   Geller vs Keres, 1973 1-0

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Przepiorka Memorial (1957)
   Ukrainian Championship (1959)
   Ukrainian Championship (1958)
   Ukrainian Championship (1957)
   USSR Championship (1955)
   Capablanca Memorial (1963)
   USSR Championship (1960)
   Nimzowitsch Memorial, Copenhagen (1960)
   Stockholm Interzonal (1962)
   Solidarity Tournament (1967)
   USSR Championship (1951)
   USSR Championship (1949)
   Allied Armies Championship (1966)
   Havana (1965)
   Przepiorka Memorial (1950)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   GellerStones & Bisguiers Atr Collection by fredthebear
   The Application of Chess Theory by elsaka
   The Application of Chess Theory by Okavango
   The Application of Chess Theory by nakul1964
   Application of Chess Theory (Geller) by Okavango
   Application of Chess Theory (Geller) by skisuitof12
   The Application of Chess Theory by Benzol
   Application of Chess Theory (Geller) by Qindarka
   The Application of Chess Theory by xajik
   Geller beats the world champions and pretenders by ughaibu
   Legend Geller by Gottschalk
   Efim Geller's Best Games by KingG
   Grandmaster Geller: The First Quarter Century by Resignation Trap
   Power Chess - Geller by Anatoly21


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EFIM GELLER
(born Mar-08-1925, died Nov-17-1998, 73 years old) Ukraine
PRONUNCIATION:
[what is this?]
Efim Petrovich Geller was born in Odessa, Ukraine. He learned how to play chess as a young man, and arrived on the international scene quickly by qualifying as a World Championship Candidate in 1952, thereby earning the grandmaster title. During Geller's career, he appeared in the Candidates five more times and competed in a record 23 Soviet Championships (winning two, in 1955 [rusbase-1] and 1979 [rusbase-2]). His aggressive playing style and expertise in double-edged positions culminated in a positive score against four World Champions over the course of his career (Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian, and Robert James Fischer). He also scored victories against Max Euwe, Boris Spassky, Mikhail Tal and Anatoly Karpov, bringing his total of World Champions beaten to eight--a record he shares only with Botvinnik, Petrosian and Viktor Korchnoi. He won the 1992 World Senior Chess Championship.

Wikipedia article: Efim Geller


Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 100; games 1-25 of 2,493  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. Geller vs E Kogan 1-0341946OdessaB53 Sicilian
2. Geller vs D Rovner  ½-½321947URS-ch sf SverdlovskC90 Ruy Lopez, Closed
3. A Sokolsky vs Geller 1-0281947Ukrainian ChampionshipC55 Two Knights Defense
4. Geller vs M Lubensky ½-½161947Ukrainian ChampionshipC80 Ruy Lopez, Open
5. Geller vs Koblents ½-½311947URS-ch sf SverdlovskD44 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav
6. Geller vs V Saigin  0-1371947URS-ch sf SverdlovskB60 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer
7. Geller vs P Dubinin 1-0321947URS-ch sf SverdlovskC79 Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defense Deferred
8. Furman vs Geller 1-0411947URS-ch sf SverdlovskD11 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
9. Geller vs G Ilivitsky 1-0261947URS-ch sf SverdlovskB60 Sicilian, Richter-Rauzer
10. O Moiseev vs Geller  ½-½411948URS-qf Baku (Masters-Candidate Masters)C80 Ruy Lopez, Open
11. Geller vs A Sokolsky  0-1471948Ukrainian ChampionshipD38 Queen's Gambit Declined, Ragozin Variation
12. A Konstantinopolsky vs Geller  0-14819481st Soviet Team-ch finalE67 King's Indian, Fianchetto
13. Geller vs V Zagorovsky 1-02619481st Soviet Team-ch finalD15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
14. S Kotlerman vs Geller 0-1311949Odessa ChampionshipE70 King's Indian
15. Geller vs M Grozdov 1-016194918th Ch Ukraine (sf-group 1)D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav
16. M Lubensky vs Geller 0-1341949URS-ch sf TbilisiE70 King's Indian
17. Geller vs I Aramanovich  1-0641949URS-ch sf TbilisiB84 Sicilian, Scheveningen
18. Geller vs N Novotelnov 0-1201949URS-ch sf TbilisiC77 Ruy Lopez
19. A Pirtskhalava vs Geller  1-0291949URS-ch sf Tbilisi+A47 Queen's Indian
20. Petrosian vs Geller ½-½301949URS-ch sf TbilisiC01 French, Exchange
21. Kholmov vs Geller ½-½181949URS-ch sf TbilisiC48 Four Knights
22. D Grechkin vs Geller  ½-½311949URS-ch sf TbilisiC85 Ruy Lopez, Exchange Variation Doubly Deferred (DERLD)
23. Geller vs I Pogrebissky  1-0311949URS-ch sf TbilisiC78 Ruy Lopez
24. A Ebralidze vs Geller  ½-½411949URS-ch sf TbilisiD76 Neo-Grunfeld, 6.cd Nxd5, 7.O-O Nb6
25. Geller vs K Klaman 1-0711949URS-ch sf TbilisiC61 Ruy Lopez, Bird's Defense
 page 1 of 100; games 1-25 of 2,493  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Geller wins | Geller loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 23 OF 28 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Sep-19-12  Olavi: It sounds so un-Keres-like that I'd hope Larsen was there to tell us exactly what Keres said.
Sep-19-12  Petrosianic: We not only don't know if Keres said it. If he did, we don't know WHEN he said it. It was at the 1964 Interzonal that Larsen said he said it. Keres wasn't in that tournament, so if it happened at all, Larsen was relaying an old comment. Who knows how old?

I find the comment very dubious. "Player A says he could beat Player B" is a common type of comment. But "Player A says he can beat Player B, and the match would be [exactly this long], and the final score would be [this much to this much]" is pretty wild.

Sep-20-12  TheFocus: Kinda hard to believe Paul saying that.

Keres: "Yes, I have a minus score against little Bobby, but I bet you I could beat him in a match by a score of 8-3! What do you think, Bag of Tricks?"

Tal: "Maybe in your dreams, Paulie. For that idiotic remark, you buy the next round."

Sep-20-12  RookFile: I saw it in Chess Life. Need somebody with access to old issues.
Sep-20-12  TheFocus: <Need somebody with access to old issues.>

I have them all. 1964?

Sep-21-12  ughaibu: Honza Cervenka: What about Moscow 1964?
Sep-21-12  brankat: To make that kind of a statement, even in private, let alone public, would have been very much out of character for one P.P.Keres. He had always been a perfect gentleman.
Sep-22-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Honza Cervenka: <ughaibu: Honza Cervenka: What about Moscow 1964?>

I was listing only some of Geller's results, where he finished on the podium or (in team events) where he performed very well. Of course, there were some tournaments, where Geller's result was not so shining, and Moscow zonal 1964 was arguably his worst tournament in the 1960s with 5/12 and the last, 7th place.

Sep-22-12  ughaibu: Okay, I see.
Nov-03-12  Conrad93: Wow, so many draws...
Nov-17-12  Cemoblanca: RIP Grand Master!
Nov-18-12  Conrad93: The only player who seemed vastly superior to Geller was Korchnoi.
Nov-18-12  Cemoblanca: Very interesting stuff <Conrad93>.

According to the database, Viktor Korchnoi beat Efim Geller 11 to 6, with 15 draws.

I'll check this out now! ;)

Cheers!

Nov-18-12  Conrad93: The funny thing is that Geller was unable to beat Korchnoi in his later years. It seems like Korchnoi developed faster than his rival.
Nov-18-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Conrad93><....It seems like Korchnoi developed faster than his rival.>

Is that right? Geller played two candidates tournaments (1953 and 1956) before they played together at Curacao, Korchnoi's debut at that level.

Do you ever check facts before blathering on with your foolishness?

Nov-19-12  Conrad93: Yes, I do check facts. After their early years were over Geller, never managed to win a single game against Korchnoi.

The truth is that after 1960 Geller was a patzer compared to Korchnoi.

Nov-19-12  Conrad93: I find it remarkable how a patzer like Geller managed to beat Fischer during his peak. Fischer must have either been mad or drunk.

No disrespect to Geller, of course. He was relatively weak compared to his competition, but still a decent player.

Nov-19-12  brankat: <Conrad93>

Patzer Geller was a Candidate six times, over a period of some 20 years.

He had beaten 8 (eight) World Champions. Only 3 other GMs managed to accomplish the same (Bobby is not one of them).

He had a positive overall result against 5 W.Champions. (Bobby didn't).

<The truth is that after 1960 Geller was a patzer compared to Korchnoi.>

The Truth is that you know very little about chess, and even less about chess History.

<I find it remarkable how a patzer like Geller managed to beat Fischer during his peak. Fischer must have either been mad or drunk.>

If you had studied their games you would not have found it remarkable, but quite natural. Geller had found a dent in Booby's armor, and Fischer found it hard to protect himself. It was similar against Tal and Korchnoi.

And, no, at the time Fischer was not mad, neither did he drink.

Btw, when do you plan to start learning?

Nov-19-12  RookFile: Korchnoi or Geller? How about Keres, he beat both of them.
Nov-19-12  Nosnibor: <brankat><Conrad93>To put the position into a proper perspective Gellers positive results against World Champions were:Smyslov +11=34-7 Petrosian +6=33-2 Botvinnik +4=5-1 Fischer +5=2-3 Thus making 4 positive results.Against Tal he scored equally +6=23-6.His remaining results against the other three WC`s are:-Spassky +6=22 -9 Karpov+1=5-2 and Kasparov +0 =3-1.Giving an overall total of+39=127-31.His negative results came in the later years of his life.No other GM that I am aware of has prformed so well against WCs over an active chess period of 50 years.
Nov-19-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: Such stats (if true) make a strong case for Geller's strength.

According to the CG database, Geller-Keres stats are +7 =21 -10.

Nov-19-12  RookFile: I see what you mean. Geller was so strong that he lost a match to Keres and had a lifetime negative score against him.

Geller defeats 8 world champions, Keres defeats 9.

The moral of the story is, if you do less than the other guy, you're a stronger player.

Nov-19-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: Nope. I was emphasizing what I have said in the past, that Keres was a very tough customer.
Nov-19-12  RookFile: I thought your post was fine, maxi. Thanks.
Nov-19-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  maxi: I realized you were kidding, but also that my post had been overly laconic and unclear.
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